Tag Archives: $5

So, I’ve written about tipping at length before. I won’t get into all of it again, but I have heard the subject come up lately, and I just want to know where I fall. This is all about discussion. I want feedback. How do you tip? Some questions I’d like answered…

Do you tip 20% when out to eat, or are you still at the 80s 15% standard? (Please don’t say it’s 10%.)

Do you round to the nearest dollar or leave exact change?

If you only get a slice of pie and a cup of coffee (or less), do you throw percentage out the window and go for a minimum amount?

Is it cool to leave the tip on a receipt if paying with a credit card, or does the waiter/waitress think you stiffed them?

Do you tip if there’s an automatic 18% gratuity for a large party?

Do you tip better (or worse) based on service, or should it be automatic?

How much do you tip a pizza guy/girl?

Does the pizza tip change if you have more than pizza or a ridiculously large order?

Do you adjust tipping a delivery person in inclement weather, on or near a holiday, or on a day like thanksgiving or New Year’s Day when everyone else is ordering out?

Is your delivery tipping based on a percentage of the total, or on a flat per-trip fee?

Is it cool to leave the tip on a receipt if paying with a credit card, or does the delivery driver think you stiffed them?

Do you tip on take-out when you pick it up?

Do you tip at Starbucks or a mom n’ pop coffee place? Is there a difference?

If so, is it change, or paper?

Do you tip per beer/drink at the bar, or per round?

How much do you tip for a $15 or $18 men’s haircut? How much more for a beard trim or a shave?

Who else do you tip that may not be so obvious? The garbage man? The mailman?

I try to tip well as with my food allergy I have a small circle of places where we dine out or get delivery with a high level of comfort. I want to make sure I’m in the right place.

Please, discuss!

As a reminder, you can comment here without a WordPress account if you’re already logged into Facebook or Twitter, just go to town!

That’s a private group on Facebook, so here’s what was said in case you’re not a member:

Rick D’Agostino is looking for some feedback from the music community out there..

Dig? So now, you have the gist of it. My blog may go on its own little tangent, you never really know with these things. It’s certainly worth talking about.

First, it’s clear that I’ve never been in a band where making money is the ultimate goal. I’m amazed over & over that venue owners let me come in, set up, and play in front of people. Sometimes we get money from the door, sometimes we get money from tickets sold, sometimes we give it all to the touring band, sometimes it’s a charity gig, sometimes no one shows up to pay anyone, sometimes we get some gas money or a couple of bucks to dump back into merch or something.

This is how it’s worked nearly everywhere and every time I have played: Most of the time, the cover is $3 to $5, unless we’re opening for a national act & it’s through a booker where we’re asked to sell tickets. Some call the latter “pay to play“, and rail wholly against it. Some people have no problem selling tickets. Some bands like mine do, but we try anyway. At bar gigs, the cover charge is usually $5. Sometimes it all goes to the bands, especially if it’s a bar & if you provide your own door person. Sometimes it pays for a sound guy (if there is one) & a cut goes to the bar, then the bands get paid. Sometimes locals defer and let the out-of-town bands take the cash (if there is one). Sometimes you can play for free at open stages, sometimes you pay to get in at open stages. Sometimes no one comes out to see you, and no one gets paid. Sometimes the band gets free or discounted drinks. It’s generally a no pay or break even situation. You hope to sell merchandise and/or CD‘s if you have them, and the bar hopes to sell drinks & food. The bands should promote and the venues should promote. Some venues think the bands should do it all, some bands think the venue should do it all. Generally 3 or sometimes 4 bands are all on the same gig. Sometimes, it all works out, sometimes… it doesn’t. This is how bands who largely play their own music are forced to operate.

That’s only 1 way. There are many other “scenes” here overlapping in the ‘Burgh.

Cover bands… or human jukebox bands, can generally charge a fee for playing a certain style, genre, or “songs that people know”. This is to provide entertainment to drunken Yinzer patrons who want to yell out requests. You probably usually play 3 sets, maybe 4… and you’re the only entertainment all night. You’re probably playing pop country, classic rock, or a little mix of everything. Professional singers/songwriters operate pretty much the same way as described above, but can get away with putting in more of their own material.

High-class… I know a band that plays funk, and can get $5000 a gig at the least. They put their twist on a bunch of songs, dress up, bring lights, and put on one hell of a show. I’m pretty sure I could never command that much cash for what I do… but how is one less relevant or entertaining? They do weddings, corporate parties, and “events”.

I’m sure there’s other stuff out there that I’m not even aware of. I can’t really speak for any other parts of the scene than the one I’m in.

I’ve heard the argument that charging only $5 is devaluing our craft. Bands should demand more to be heard live. It worked for Yuengling. They raised the price on their beer in the late 90s/early 00s and they took off ahead of the other “microbrews”. Should we then put a higher value on ourselves & our art? If we raise the price do we raise our expectations? Do we raise our worth? Do we raise the value of our music & entertainment?

I also see that a cover charge can make or break a show. Times are changing. People aren’t spending money on entertainment. Music is seen like it’s all supposed to be free. Why would someone pay for a live show? To me, if you don’t have $5 on you for a show, maybe you shouldn’t be going to a bar in the 1st place. $5 might get you 2 beers if you’re a butthole & don’t tip the bartender. Then again, we hardly ever walk away with any money anyway (the Fallout Shelter is an exception here, we get paid well there, regardless of turnout), so why not let people in for free?

The tip bucket. I’d play for one. I have no doubt that we’re entertaining. Why not, right? Do all bands split the tip bucket? Or go per performance? That if the 1st band up gets all the cash & the “cleanup” band gets nothing simply because the patrons ran out of cash? Are we nothing more than indoor buskers if we play for a tip jar? Is it a better measurement of our entertainment value to work for tips? Does it devalue our art to basically beg for donations to support the rock n’ roll cause?

I certainly don’t want to see my favorite venues close because they can’t afford to operate. I like to play them, I like to see other bands in them… I want them to do well. I want them to continue to host my band & other bands. I even want them to make a buck so it’s all worth their while, and so they can do it to make a living.

I just want to play. I don’t care where, or for how much. I have fun doing it. I think this is an important discussion to have, though. What is the value of live rock n’ roll?

As you can see we have a bunch of stuff coming up. We generally try to be all kinds of fun. We’re playing with some exciting bands & artists. We’re playing some new venues & some old favorites. We’re playing with bands we love & bands we’ve never met. Each show is an adventure. Join us!

Hello faithful readers. I’d like to sell mad tickets for this. The Real McKenzies are right up my alley, these Goddamn Gallows cats look to be our kind of insane, & the Bloody Seamen remind of us our new bff‘s The Botched for some reason.

This is my personal plea to all of you to come out to this show & show us (Ernie and the Berts – the band, and the people) your support. We’re selling the tickets for $12 a pop in advance, and we hope to sell out quick… so get a hold of me, or get a hold of Erin at ernie@ernieandtheberts.com to score your tix.

I know it’s a Tuesday, and I know it’s not a $5 bar show… but shows like this really help us get our music/name/faces out there. Don’t you want more people to be aware of the nearly-controlled chaos that is Ernie and the Berts?

Drusky is getting warm to us, and it seems like the Altar Bar digs us… so we’d like to play more shows there more often. The best way to do that is for us to convince your collective ass to come out to the shows, support national touring acts, local venues & entertainment companies, and local music…. and most of all to have a good time!

I mean, we like to be extra goofy, you never know what Ernie’s up to next. The Seamen are just ridiculous and you have to see them live to believe it. Look at the Gallow’s dudes photo & tell me they don’t like to party. I hear that the Real McKenzies don’t wear anything under their kilts. You have something going on a Tuesday night that can compare to that awesomeness?

Yeah, you have to get up for work the next day. So do I. So do most of the guys in the local bands. You can deal with it. Drink an extra coffee in the morning and man (or woman) up.

So, how many tickets do you want?

The Real McKenzies

The Goddamn Gallows

The Bloody Seamen

Ernie and the Berts

Here are all the details so far, I hope to make a flyer as soon as possible…

Like this:

The Clarks’ lead singer gets schooled at Shaler. I found it rather amusing, so will a bunch of my local musician friends because we’re all haters. No idea if this is real or not, but Mr. Madden was talking about it at the beginning of his show today.